Sheet separating means for collating machine



De. 957 D. T. BELL ET AL 2,817,513

SHEET SEPARATING MEANS FOR COLLATING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

Hams/s, lY/[C/l, F0575)? a: Haw/s Dec. 24, 1957 D. T. BELL ET AL 2,817,513

SHEET SEPARATING MEANS FOR COLLATING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 \lllllllllll J /4 a;

5} THUR ITT /QA/Eki Ala/ems, 1050/, 1 05752 ac 07,426

Dec. 24, 1957 D. T. BELL ETAL 2,817,513

SHEET SEPARATING MEANS FOR COLLATING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a .a FIG. 6.

15v THE/l? emzn/sys. Hmw/s, 1050/. F0575? & Aime/5 SHEET SEPARATING MEANS FOR COLLATING MACHINE Dixon T. Bell and Kenneth T. Moser, Los Angeles, Calif.; Mary Bell Smith, administratrix of said Dixon T. Bell, deceased Application June 29, 1954, Serial No. 440,172

9 Claims. (Cl. 27054) The present invention relates to a new and improved device for collating a plurality of signatures upon a single conveyer means.

In the printingtrade, folded sheets of printed matter are generally termed signatures. Informing a composite or booklet from a plurality of these signatures, a number of them are placed one upon another with their folds coincident. This process is termed generally collating. Once gathered together in this manner, a plurality. of signatures may be stapledtogether, glued, or

otherwise fastened, and, if desired, may be trimmed by appropriate" trimming means.

One"objectof the present invention is to teach the production of a new and improved device of the class described, that is, a device for collating a plurality of signatures upon a single conveyer means. A closelyrelated object is to producea signature collating machine, which,

when compared with the prior art devices for the same purpose, is of comparatively simple construction, and-yet which is extremely effective in operation;

A more specificobject of the invention is to produce a device of the class described which comprises a con tinuous conveyer, a movable tableforholding'astack of signatures, and combination lever andsuction means for takingsignatures from said table and placing them, one A further object is to provide a device wherein a plurality of movable-tables at a time; uponsaidconveyer.

and combination lever'and suction means are located adjacent to a single conveyer so that successive signatures" from :each of said tablescan be collateduponsaid conveyer and carried to where they can be fastened together, cut, or the like.

Inasmuch as the combination lever andsuctionmeans':

referred to aboveis capable of use apart from the other parts specifically mentioned above, it is a still'further object of the invention to produce such combinationlever and suction means for use with other operations besides collating a stack of signatures, such as, for example, the

transferring of sheets of material -from tone stack to another stack. Thecombinationlever and suction means herein indicated depends largely for its effectiveness upon;

ification, the" appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig: lshow's'a sideview'of a new'machine forcolla'ting signatures in accordance withthe invention;

Accordingly, .a stillfurther. object of the ice Fig. 2 shows a sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the apparatus in a first operating position;

Fig. 3 shows a similar sectional view with the apparatus in a second operating position;

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view'taken atline 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows. another sectional view taken at line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows'a still further sectionalview takenat line 6-6 of Fig. 3 of the drawings;

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view taken along line 7 -7 of Fig. l of the drawings; and

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show sectional views similar to the view of Fig. 7, but with the equipment shown indifferent operating positions.

Perhaps the invention will be best shown with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 1 there is shown a signature collating machine of the invention consisting of a continuous conveyer 20, signature holding tables 40 and combination lever and suction'means '70 for removing signatures from the tables 40 and placingthese signatures on the conveyer 2%). Thus, with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, signatures placed upon the tables 49 can be collated upon the conveyer 20 in accordance with the invention; For convenience of explanation, the operation of only one of tables 4t) and the combination lever and suction means 70 is describe'd in this'sp'ecification, .it being understood that both of the tables dil and the mean's'70'act in the same manner.

The entire apparatus of the 'inventionis held in place by appropriate supporting members 10 serving to position all the membershereinafter enumerated, withthe conveyer 2t placed directly in front of the tables was shown. Thisconveyer 26 is of the endless beltvariety and is composed of a plurality of links 21, each having,

when in an upstanding position, anupper inverted V- shaped ridge or saddle 22 and a lower dependent body 23 in which-there is positioned a slot 24. These slots 24 are adapted to fitover guide bars 27 and. pulleys 2d duringathe operation of the conveyer. 20. This arrangement guarantees that the links 21 will be inproper position at all'times. Certain of these links 21carry upstanding projections 29 which prevent signatures from.

slipping along the ridges 22. Part of the conveyer 2i) is covered by a guard housing 31 as shown to prevent accidents.

For convenience of illustration only the part of the conveyer 20 directly used in collating signatures is shown.

in the drawings. The parts which are not shown are of a conventional variety, and may be readily purchased on.

the open market.

As is bestseen in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the drawings, each of the signature tables 40 used with the invention consists essentially of a flat, horizontally disposed table 41 having ends 42 and 43 parallel to the conveyer 20 and having a plurality of slots 44 Withinthe end 43 and having a plurality of upstanding stop bars 46 positioned beside these slots 44. Directly beneath the slots 44 there is placed a hollow tubular manifold 48 having closed ends and a plurality of openings 49 placed directly beneath each of the slots 44. This manifold is supplied with air under pressure by means of an appropriate air tube 50.

Adjacent to the ends 42 and 43 of the table ii, there are located rollers 52 and 53, respectively, carrying endlessbelts 54 across the top of the table 41 and beneath this same table. The roller 53 is provided with a ratchet wheel 56 for the purpose of turning this roller and mov- 'ing the belts 54, as will be more fully explained later.

Directly above the slots 44, there is placed a pivoted gate 60- consisting of horizontally disposed" rods 61 and Patented Dec. 24, 1957 62 connected by terminal bars 63, with the rod 61 serving as the pivot for the entire gate. A flat bar 64 is placed between the bars 63 adjacent to the rod 61 so as to present a vertical surface facing the direction away from the conveyer 20. This gate 66) is normally biased in a vertical position by springs 66 attached to the supports as shown.

In order to remove signatures from the tables 40 and to place these signatures upon the conveyer 20, combination lever and suction means 70 are used with the invention. As is best seen in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the means 70 consists of a suction tube carrying a reciprocating lever assembly 80 and a tube rotating assembly 120 which is interconnected with the assembly 80 as will be explained.

The lever assembly 80 consists of two basic parts, a power actuated variable-radius lever 81 and a connected bell crank lever 90. The variable-radius lever 81 is connected to a shaft 11 in known manner by means of a link 82 which is attached by means of a pivot 83 to a link 84 carrying a pin 85. This pin 85 is placed within a slot 86 in an arm 88 of the bell crank lever 90. The arm 88 is attached at an extremity removed from the slot 86 to a shaft 91 and a second elongated arm 92 projecting upward to a terminal arm-like angle 93 over the conveyer when the parts are as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Thus, when the shaft 11 is rotated, motion is transmitted via the variable-radius lever 81 to the bell crank lever 90, causing the arm 92 to reciprocate over the conveyer 20.

The upper terminal extremity of this arm 92 carries rotatably a suction tube 96 which in turn carries a number of suction cups 100 as shown. This tube 96 is connected by means of a flexible hose 101 to a valve 110 mounted on the arm 92 beneath the angle 93. This valve 110 has a short rigid tubular body 111 having open ends, one of which is connected to the hose 101 and the other of which is connected to a vacuum hose 102. A rocker arm 103 is attached to the body 111 by means of an upstanding member 112 holding a pivot 114. An enlarged terminal extremity 117 of the rocker arm 103 is adapted to fit over and seal an aperture 115 in the body 111. A spring 116 is attached to this arm 103 and to the arm 92 in order to normally bias the extremity 117 over the aperture 115; an adjustable stop 119 is attached to a member 10 in such a position as to press against the arm 103, forcing the extremity 117 away from the aperture 115 when the arm 92 is in the position indicated in Fig. 2. As this occurs any vacuum within the tube 96 is automatically broken.

The tube rotating assembly 120 contains a stabilizing bar 121 attached to a supporting member 10 by means of a pivot 122, and attached to an arm 123 of a bell crank lever 124 by means of a pivot 125. This lever 124 is attached by means of a pivot 126 to the angle 93 of the arm 92 and contains an arm 127 which in turn is attached by a pivot 128 to a link 129. This link in turn is attached by a pivot 131 to another link 132 which is fixed to the suction tube 96.

By virtue of the construction shown, motion for the arm 92 of the bell crank lever 90 is transmitted through the bell crank lever 124 to the stabilizing bar 121, causing this bar to reciprocate, effecting secondary movement of the lever 124 which is transmitted by the links 129 and 132 so as to rotate the suction tube 96 as this tube reciprocates with the arm 92 of the bell crank lever 90.

Operation In operation, power to actuate all of the moving elements described is supplied by a motor 12 which is connected by V-belts 13 to a shaft 11 mounted in appropriate pillow blocks 14 and to a pump 15 to which there are attached vacuum lines 102 connected to the tubular body 111 and air tubes 50 for delivering air under pressure.

As the device is used, a stack of signatures 140 is placed upon a table 40 with their folded edges upwards and with their open edges against the table 41 with the lead signature 141 of the stack 140 against stop bars 46 and the bar 61 of the gate 60. The bell crank lever is then reciprocated directly in front of the lead signature 141. By virtue of the manner of the assembly of the combination lever and suction means 70, the suction cups then face this signature 141. At this point in the operation of the machine, air is supplied through the slots 44 by the means previously indicated which tends to lift the front 142 of the signature 141 over the stop bars 46. This air is supplemented by a vacuum directed at the front 142 from the cups 100; both the suction and air pressure are of such a quantity as to be successful in lifting this front 142 and it is soon held by suction against the cups 100 as shown in Fig. 7.

The rotation of the shaft 11 then causes the arm 92 of the bell crank lever 90 to move away from the stack of signatures 140 to a position of the tube 96 as is indicated in Fig. 8 of the drawings, drawing the front 142 of the signature 141 away from this stack and pulling the fold 143 of the signature 141 out from beneath the bar 64 of the gate 60. As this occurs, the gate 60 opens as is shown in Fig. 8. As further movement of the shaft 11 occurs, the signature 141 is drawn completely away from the stack 140 with the terminal edge 144 of the signature 141 being held by the stop bars 46, as is shown in Fig. 9. At this time a wire spring 99 attached to the tube 96 engages the fold 143 of the signature 141, forcing this signature into a largely horizontal position. As still further movement of the shaft 11 occurs, the edge 144 disengages the bars 46, as shown in Fig. 10, and the valve is opened by contact with the stop 119, breaking the vacuum applied by the cups 100. When this happens the spring 99 forces the signature 141 down over the conveyer 20.

Further motion of the shaft returns the various elements to their initial positions for picking up another signature, and placing it on the conveyer 20 as this conveyer is in motion. Further, as the shaft 11 turns, the ratchet 56 is turned by a pawl 58 biased against this ratchet 56 by a spring 59 connected to the pawl 58 and a supporting member 10, and the conveyer belts 54 advance another lead signature against the stop bars 46 :and the gate 60.

As is considered obvious from the drawings, the above operation is repeated in front of each of a number of tables 40 until a plurality of signatures are collated on the conveyer 20.

Those skilled in the art will realize that the herein described invention is capable of wide modification within the scope of the instant disclosure. Such modifications are to be considered as part of the inventive concept insofar as they are defined by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a collating machine which includes an apparatus for feeding successive folded signatures having front and rear leaves to a first location at a front end of a stack of such signatures, and which includes a signature-receiving saddle in a second location spaced from said first location, the combination with the foregoing of an apparatus for removing the folded signature at the front end of the stack from said first location and for opening the folded signature and depositing the open signature on the saddle at said second location, including: suction cup means movable between said first and second locations and engageable with the front leaf of the folded signature at the front end of the stack when said suction cup means is in said first location; means for moving said suction cup means between said first and second locations; means for energizing said suction cup means when it is in said first location and for de-energizing same when it is in said second location, whereby said suction cup means moves thefront leaf of thefol'dd' s'igfiafufeat the fro'n't eiid 'of the stack from said first location tosaid' second"location as said suction cuptneans "is 'r'rio'v'edfrom' said first locationto said second location," and releases the front leaf at said second location; and stationary stop means engageable with the rear leaf of the signature at the front end of the stack for retarding movement thereof towards said second location with the front leaf of the signature, whereby said suction cup"meansan'd"said stop means cooperate to open the signature as the front leaf thereof is moved towards said second location by said suction cup means, and to deposit the opened signature on the saddle as the front leaf of the signature is released by said suction cup means at said second location.

2. In an apparatus for removing a folded signature having front and rear leaves from a first location and for opening the signature and depositing the open signature in a second location, the combination of: suction cup means movable between said first and second locations and engageable with the front leaf of the signature when said suction cup means is in said first location; means for moving said suction cup means between said first and second locations; means for energizing said suction cup means when it is in said first location and for de-energizing same when it arrives in said second location, whereby said suction cup means moves the front leaf of the signature from said first location to said second location as said suction cup means is moved from said first location to said second location, and releases the front leaf at said second location; and stationary stop means engageable with the rear leaf of the signature for retarding movement thereof toward said second location with the front leaf of the signature, whereby said suction cup means and said stop means cooperate to open the signature as the front leaf thereof is moved towards said second location by said suction cup means.

3. In an apparatus for removing a folded signature having front and rear leaves from a first location and for opening the signature and depositing the open signature in a second location, the combination of: suction cup means movable between said first and second locations and engageable with the front leaf of the signature when said suction cup means is in said first location; means for moving said suction cup means between said first and second locations; means for energizing said suction cup means when it is in said first location and for de-energizing same when it arrives in said second location, whereby said suction cup means moves the front leaf of the signature from said first location to said second location as said suction cup means is moved from said first location to said second location, and releases the front leaf at said second location; stationary stop means engageable with the rear leaf of the signature for retarding movement thereof toward said second location with the front leaf of the signature, whereby said suction cup means and said stop means cooperate to open the signature as the front leaf thereof is moved towards said second location by said suction cup means; and means in said first location for directing an air blast between the leaves of the signature to assist said stop means and said suction cup means in opening the signature.

4. In an apparatus for removing a folded signature having front and rear leaves from a first location and for opening the signature and depositing the open signature in a second location, the combination of: suction cup means movable between said first and second locations and engageable with the front leaf of the signature when said suction cup means is in said first location; means for moving said suction cup means between said first and second locations; means for energizing said suction cup means when it is in said first location and for de-energizing same when it arrives in said second location, whereby said suction cup means moves the front leaf of the signature from said first location to said second location as said suction cup means is moved from said first location to said leaf of "thefsignature for retarding movement thereof to wardsaid secondlocationwith'the front leaf ofthe signature, whereby"said suction cup. means and said stop means coopefate"toop'e'n the signature as the front leaf thereof is moved towards said second location by said suction cup means; and means engageable with the exterior ofth'e fold of the signature intermediate said first and second locations for movingithefold toward'a plane extending betweedsai'd' suction"cupmeans and said stop means so as to assist said suction cup-means and said stop means iri'opnin'gthe'signature; H

5. In an a paratnsrer removing afolded signature havin'g front and rear leaves fromfia first location and for opening the signature and depositing the open signature in a second location, the combination of: suction cup means movable between said first and second locations and engageable with the front leaf of the signature when said suction cup means is in said first location; means for moving said suction cup means between said first and second locations; means for energizing said suction cup means when it is in said first location and for de-energizing same when it arrives in said second location, whereby said suction cup means moves the front leaf of the signature from said first location to said second location as said suction cup means is moved from said first location to said second location, and releases the front leaf at said second location; stop means engageable with the rear leaf of the signature for retarding movement thereof toward said second location with the front leaf of the signature, whereby said suction cup means and said stop means cooperate to open the signature as the front leaf thereof is moved towards said second location by said suction cup means; and spring means engageable with the exterior of the fold of the signature intermediate said first and second locations for pressing the fold toward a plane extending between said stop means and said suction cup means to assist the latter in opening the signature.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said suction cup means carries said spring means and is pivotable to bring said spring means into engagement with the exterior of the fold of the signature, said apparatus including means for pivoting said suction cup means as it is moved from said first location toward said second location.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said spring means is carried by said suction cup means, said apparatus including a movable gate overlying the front leaf of the signature when the latter is in said first location and engageable by said spring means to prevent engagement of said spring means with the exterior of the fold of the signature until the fold is intermediate said first and second locations.

8. In an apparatus for opening a folded signature having two leaves, the combination of: first leaf engaging means engageable with one of the leaves; second leaf engaging means engageable with the other of the leaves; means for moving said first leaf engaging means away from said second leaf engaging means to separate the leaves; flattening means carried by said first leaf engaging means and engageable with the exterior of the fold of the signature in response to movement of said first leaf engaging means away from said second leaf engaging means for pressing inwardly on the exterior of the fold to flatten the signature; and means for engaging said flattening means with the fold of the signature in response to movement of said first leaf engaging means away from said second leaf engaging means.

9. In an apparatus for opening a folded. signature having two leaves, the combination of: first leaf engaging means engageable with one of the leaves; second leaf engaging means engageable with the other of the leaves; means for moving one of said leaf engaging means away from theother to separate the leaves; spring means carried by the movable leaf engaging means and engageable with the exterior of thefold of the signature as the leaves thereof are separated for pressing inwardly on the exterior of the fold to flatten the signature; and movable gate 5 means adapted to overlie the folded signature and engageable with said spring means for preventing engagement of said spring means with the exterior of the fold of the signature until the leaves of the signature have been separated by movement of the movable leaf engaging means 10 away from the other leaf engaging means.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Klemm Nov. 22, 1932 Kleineberg June 27, 1939 Ackley Oct. 29, 1940 Spiess Dec. 10, 1940 Root Oct. 28, 1941 Pope- July 1, 1952 Woelfer" Oct. 7, 1952 Backhouse Oct. 28, 1952 Durksen Feb. 9, 1954 

